Drew my handgun in car...right/wrong response?

I think OP handled the situation perfectly. When armed, first and best response to any situation is to avoid the situation. One can be deadly unarmed, but one is certainly deadly when armed with a gun.

Just fyi, car window is lot harder than most think and an elbow into it when closed will not break the window in most cases (unless done at perfect angle and strength).
 
it is the consensus among the majority of people in this thread that displying a handgun to warn away from a "fist fight" or minor property damage is the proper course of action?
 
it is the consensus among the majority of people in this thread that displying a handgun to warn away from a "fist fight" or minor property damage is the proper course of action?
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I don't remember anyone saying that; I remember several posts, including one of mine which was very explicit, stating that they believed a threat of serious harm existed in the assailants actions.
 
I drew down on a fellow once...it's amazing how fast they retreat. I had warned him several times to turn around without showing the pistol...after about the third time I drew, he turned an walked away. I too called the cops and he was arrested.

You handled it properly in my opinion.
 
Ok I am a sworn law enforcement officer and in my opinion everything he did was correct. First he called 911 and identified that he was the victim. When we are dispatched to a call for service it is the dispatcher that tells me what was reported and by whom. The dispatcher is my lifeline if you don't think his or her opinion is important then you are very wrong. To be honest it's all in how you report it. In other words when I get to him to take his report if he is visibly shaken then I note that in my report. If he is standing there telling me he knows BJJ and Krav Magaw and could have taken that guy then I’m going to ask why he displayed a firearm if he was not in fear for his life. Remember repeat after me; I was in fear for my life and I did what was necessary to survive the situation and be prepared to explain why you were in fear for your life.
 
Almost all smart phones have the ability to record video on them. That would be very smart if you were to record his agression towards you and play it back to the responding Officers.
 
Let's get real guys, I think he did the right thing.

The idea of doing a cell phone video while holding a gun and dealing with an irate person seems just too ludicrous to be taken seriously.
 
I was taght by my grampa. He gave me a few tidbits of "Old Dude Wisdom" (The kind aquired by a guy that survived to be that old. For situations of road rage.

1 Try to avoid offending people.
2. Avoid yelling, and horn honking excessively if someone per say cuts you off or such.
3. Do not stop if you can avoid it. Keep driving.
4. If you can not keep driving stay in the car, and keep an eye on the person. If they are out of the car. Try to drive away without running over them if you can.

My tidbits in there. I carry on body except when driving. I am a lefty shooter, and the door interferes with my ability to draw. I keep the gun ready to fire in console, and can shoot it well right handed as well. If an act of agression like the other guy showed happend to me I would have driven away. If he followed I would have called 911 told the situation to the dispatcher, and where I was, and was planning on driving to so that the police could intercept. If not I would have had 911 on the phone as soon as the guy was out of the car.

Though hind sight is 20/20. I have dealt with a road raged person, and had to present my carry gun. The other person left. A bystander saw what was going on and called police. I waited there for them, and explained the situation. They checked my CHL told me I did the right thing, gave me my gun back. They wished me luck on my fishing trip that I was on my way to.
 
Let's get real guys, I think he did the right thing.

The idea of doing a cell phone video while holding a gun and dealing with an irate person seems just too ludicrous to be taken seriously.
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Agreed.
 
I think the OP is lucky he didn't go to jail for "brandishing" a gun. I hear a lot of stories on the new where in a road rage someone flashes a gun and get felonies.

I have the belief that flashing guns to stop fights is stupid and dangerous. IMO Never pull a gun unless you intent to use it. just MO.

You are in a fight in fights people will use any available tactic to harm you including calling the police which happens very often when guns come out. They risk getting petty offense "disturbing the peace" you risk a felony as soon as the gun comes out.

Maybe the guy also had a gun and now he has the advantage of shooting you while you are stuck inside the car with limited movement. He will probably say something like "He pulled a gun and said you are going to die". Your word against his and you are dead.

I don't carry in my car that much, when I do I also have a jacket or sweat shirt in the seat by me so if I need the gun close it can still be hidden. I always though that if someone did attack me while I was in the car I would get the gun cover it and wait for them to break the window and fill their cheat full of rounds. That is the idea, but in real life who know how things play out?
 
I have the belief that flashing guns to stop fights is stupid and dangerous. IMO Never pull a gun unless you intent to use it. just MO.
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Change that to you're in fear for your life and I'll agree. I may pull my gun because I'm in fear for my life, but as it's pulled, the aggressor runs away. It's happened many times, just take a look at NRA's The Armed Citizen. I then have lost the intent to use it, because I'm certainly not going to shoot him in the back. Or, you could look at that as using it just as a show of force in those successful encounters. At any rate, the police should be called.
 
deepcreek

Avoidance, deterence and defense. In that order

He avoided a confrontation until he couldn't. He used deterrence when he couldn't. Fortunately he didn't have to escalate to defense and everyone got to go home that day. That's an excellent outcome.

Your bravado will get you in big trouble someday.
 
The only thing I would have done differently is just drove away when he got out of his car, then as I was driving away, I would have called 911.
 
Eppie said:
Let's get real guys, I think he did the right thing.

The idea of doing a cell phone video while holding a gun and dealing with an irate person seems just too ludicrous to be taken seriously.
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Hang on a sec while I unlock my phone and open my dash cam app...ok, you can start being aggressive now. ;)
 
The only mistake I see that the op made was not having his gun loaded, round chambered and ready to shoot if needed. Under the seat or in the console is fine but an unloaded gun has never saved anyone's life. condition zero, point pull trigger, that is my way of looking at it. I won't even own a pistol with an external safety.
 
We are still talking about branishing a weapon...moving a physical altercation into a potential deadly altercation. I am sure the post is missing some details however; we are talking about a road rage incident (very common where I live). I will assume this was a male against male, one wanting to fight the other. Don't see the disparity in force to justify the drawing of the gun however; I was not there.
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Disparity of force? I have not heard of that in a while. In Texas the requirement is a reasonable fear of death of serious bodily harm (and not in the furtherance of a crime).
 
Let's get real guys, I think he did the right thing.

The idea of doing a cell phone video while holding a gun and dealing with an irate person seems just too ludicrous to be taken seriously.
__________________
Experience is a very bad teacher because it first gives you the test and then teaches you the lesson.
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Yes thats an ideal situation. I have told my boy in the past to evade etc. but if cornered immediately call 911, open the phone/camera and shout he is on the line with police and being recorded.
 
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